Struggle & Survival

Set 1 – History 140Devin Koppel

Martin OcelotlBorn in 1496, a religious prodigy who faced imprisonment but avoided execution during the years of impending doom in the Aztec culture (1518-1519)Predicted the coming of bearded white men (Cortes and the Spaniards)1521 – Tenochtitlan fell, Moctezuma was killed after ordering the release of Ocelotl who left to find refuge in Tetzcoco1525 – Ocelotl was baptized and christened with the Spanish name Martin but continued with many of his old ways of lifeThriving career as a native priest in which he attained wealth in lands, houses, and jewels. Also practiced various arts of folk healing, shamanism, divining, and ministering1536 – Ocelotl confronted about reports of preaching against the Catholic faith and practicing of sorcery, idolatry, and depravityThe following year, he was subjected to public humiliation then was exiled to Spain while his estate was confiscated by the Holy Office

Isabel MoctezumaBorn in 1510, the daughter of Moctezuma and Teotlalco, she was originally named Tecuichpotzin but was later renamed by the Spaniards as IsabelBecause of her family she was a symbol of importance in MexicoWed 5 husbands, 2 Indians and 3 SpaniardsAt age 11 she became the Aztec princess when she was married to her uncle Cuitlahuac, but was widowed within 2 months of marriageRemmaried to her cousin Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec emperor, who was killed by the conquering SpaniardsMany see her as the most prominent Indian woman in colonial Mexico, and a model of Hispanicized Indian womanhoodLed a new mixture of society as a wife of a conquistadorThroughout her marriages she bore many children, whom she taught the Catholic faith, and in 1550 she drew up her will and awarded her belongings to her daughters and set all her slaves free

Catarina de Monte Sinay Member of the Desterro Convent in Bahia Her family had been born into the Monastery of Brazil and continued a tradition of

ceremony and ritual She loved the life she lived in the nunnery and was very devoted to her position,

and she felt as though the nunnery was a reward to the people of Bahia She looked up to her nun, Madre Victoria, as a role model In the 1670’s, Catarina de Monte Sinay sought to clear her community of sins by

providing a model of saintliness during a period of depression She was successful in spreading the word of the church She hoped to make the world a better place, and felt rewarded by helping the

people Died in August, 1758, and left a legacy – she was not concerned with herself or with

worldly problems or business affairs, but with finding the right path to salvation

Diego Vasicuio

Diego Vasicuio lived in the late 1600’s during a time of religious conversion in Peru, however Diego tried to keep the Indian religious traditions intact with the cultureSpanish Imperial System: Spanish attempt to convert the Indians of Peru into CatholicsHe was entrusted with a stone image of the God Sorimana by his grandparents, who taught him how to recite the prayers and ceremonies of SorimanaA cult was created within the Indian communities - The Sorimana worshipers in SalamancaDiego promised that the God would bring corn to the peopleThe Spanish priest Prado was offended by Diego’s ceremonies, which he denounced as a “venerated union of god, physical representation, and holy ground”Diego’s preaching was similar to that of the Christian God, and in the end The Sorimana received public punishment

Francisca

Born in the early1700’s, Francisca was an Indian slave woman of the city of Belem do Para near the top of the Amazon River

Captured by the Manao tribe that reigned freely over North western Amazonia during the late 17th and early 18th centuries during a time when trade and culture flourished

She grew up during a time of serious epidemic and general forced labor, households were in need of help to tend to the plantations near the Rio Negro

Because her owner did not provide proper paperwork, Francisca was not a legitimate slave

Francisca was freed of slavery and a man named Clemente insisted that she should be considered a slave like all the rest

After a case by the chief justice of the colony was brought up, he declared that all women be free

Micaela Angela CarrilloLived in Nuestra Senora de Asuncion Amozoque – a village that was predominantly Indian and extremely close to the wealthy Spanish city of Puebla de Los AngelesThis city was a leading center of manufacture and tradeInherited land in the town which she lived and arose from near desolationMicaela Angela Carrillo was a woman who refused to follow the rules and traditions of women of her timeShe was known for manufacturing a strong drink known as Pluque, and she taught the trade to her sons and daughtersThe drink was made from the maguey plant, from which they extracted a sweet sap that was fermented in a vat of cowhide Her innovation and knowledge paved the way for new opportunities for women